Button fears fans backlash if Alonso fails to win world title by more than seven points

Jenson Button fears Fernando Alonso will be a tainted champion if he wins the Formula One world title by no more than seven points.

The British driver was referring to Alonso's victory at July's German Grand Prix when his Ferrari team broke the rules by ordering their other driver Felipe Massa to cede his place.

Out of the running: Button lost his F1 crown on Sunday after finishing 5th in Brazil

They were fined £65,000 but escaped a points deduction.

Button said: 'Fernando is an exceptional driver, though some will be disappointed with what happened at Hockenheim and question whether he deserves it. I just hope he wins it by more than seven points.'

On top of the pile: Alonso leads the drivers' standings by eight points

Alonso is the championship favourite going into the final race in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

Red Bull's Mark Webber, eight points back, and his team-mate Sebastian Vettel, a further seven adrift, are the two most likely to stop the Spaniard.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton needs to win to stand any chance of a second world title.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner will not instruct Vettel to work for Webber. He said: 'If one finds himself in a situation where he cannot win and needs to help the other then I imagine he will do that.'